Atthow Residence

On 18 November 1880, Charles Atthow purchased a 10-perch block from Carlishaw. His purchase was identified as subdivision 4 of Portion 194.  On 28 August 1884, Atthow took out a mortgage on his undeveloped land. He obtained a loan of ₤250 from Edward Hueborn. It is thought that Atthow used this money in order to finance the completion of a residence on his Spring Hill land. Atthow is first listed as a resident of Mein Street in the 1884 edition of the Queensland Post Office Directories. As the information for these directories was collected during the year prior to publication, then it is assumed that Atthow’s residence at 29 Mein Street, was built in 1883. 

Atthow was a partner in Atthow Brother’s Fruit Wholesalers Business. The other partner was G. Atthow who lived at Breakfast Creek. Their store was located at 73 Mary Street in Brisbane Town. Perhaps reflecting his status as a successful businessman, Atthow decided to have a two-storey residence built rather than the single storey residences that were more the norm in that part of Spring Hill. Charles Atthow only lived at his new home until 1887. He then rented one storey of his residence to George Ferguson, who was a stevedore and the other storey to Martin Furey, a labourer. The proximity of the Brisbane wharves at the end of Boundary Street, ensured that Atthow could depend upon a steady supply of labourers as prospective tenants.  On 24 January 1888, Atthow sold his house to Joshua Bailey.

Bailey funded his purchase through a ₤250 mortgage provided by the South Australian Land Mortgage Agency Company Limited. At the time of purchase, 29 Mein Street was being rented by Michael Murphy who was a labourer and by Miss C. Wright, an artist. In 1889, Miss Wright was replaced as a tenant by a labourer, W. Ross, while labourer Edward Murphy replaced Michael Murphy.

On 18 October 1889, Ellen Griffin, a widow, purchased 29 Mein Street from Bailey. She continued to rent the property as upstairs and downstairs apartments until her death on 4 July 1900. Her estate passed to her son James Griffin, who returned the building at 29 Mein Street into a single residence. In 1901, James Griffin moved into the residence. On 21 January 1903, James transferred the property to Margaret Cuffe, the wife of William Bartholmew Cuffe. She only held the title deeds for four years before the property returned to the hands of James Griffin on 2 August 1907. When James died on 20 November 1927, the property was transmitted back to Margaret Cuffe. She only survived James Griffin by three days, for Margaret died on 23 November 1927. For unknown reasons, 29 Mein Street did not pass to her husband William, but, instead it came under the control of the Public Curators Office of Queensland. 

The property remained as a rental property administered by the state until 4 November 1946, when it was sold to Willie Markkancer. He, in turn, disposed of the property to John Decourcy Walsh on 25 March 1955. Walsh obtained a mortgage on the property through Markkancer on 17 May 1955. In 1956, the Brisbane City Council resumed 0.8 perches of Walsh’s property to allow for the widening of Mein Street. Walsh died on 28 July 1969 and Henrietta Emily Ford and her husband Daniel Richard Ford inherited the property. 

By the 1960s, Spring Hill had become a run-down, inner city suburb that was awash with rental accommodation that catered for low-income earners. Atthow’s old residence continued to be leased as flats by owners, such as Spero and Joan Marie Conias who gained title to the property on 13 June 1980. For the next decade, 29 Mein Street passed through a variety of hands. Richard James Koerner and Marilyn Ruth Koerner became the new owners on 31 August 1981. The Sutcliffe Catering Group Pty Limited took control of the property on 17 September 1982. Around this time, 29 Mein Street was converted from residential to commercial usage. Scott Malcolm Taggart replaced the Sutcliffe Catering Group as the owner on 1 December 1987. Antique Design Pty Ltd leased 129 Mein Street from Taggart from 15 February 1988 through to 14 February 1991. The current owner, Kjerulf D. Ainsworth purchased the property from Taggart on 6 September 2002.

1. Brisbane City Council, Properties on the Web, website

2. Brisbane City Council, 1946 aerial photographs.

3. Brisbane City Council’s Central Library, local history sheets

4. Department of Natural Resources, Queensland Certificates of title and other records.

5. John Oxley Library, Union Estate (J.B. Ellis & Co 29/11/1877)

6. Queensland Post Office Directories, 1868-1949